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View Full Version : Bo update, vets been again


Jessey
6th Mar 2006, 02:01 PM
Well vet was meant to come out last Wednesday to re-scan Bo's stifle but he got cast Tuseday morning so we postponed till today to hopefully let any swelling go down etc.

The vet wanted to see Bo walk today so he got to step foot outside his stable for the first time in weeks (apart from the little escaping incident :p ) and he was quite stiff, after walking for a couple of minutes he was still stiff, not what we wanted :(

Went back to his stable and did another ultrasound scan, The good news is there was visible and significant improvement in the leision of the miniscus (cartlidge) so that is really good news :D Bad news was that there is still significant inflamation around the cruciate ligament although we have not been able to identify a particular problem with it :(

The vet injected a strong anti-inflamitory directly into the joint to try and get the swelling round the ligament to go down asap.

So, another 3 weeks box rest, then another scan, then hopefully we will be able to start walking him for 5 mins twice a day, until then he is staying on the bute and joint supplement and we have everything crossed that he doesn't do anything else to slow his progress :rolleyes:

I am getting a little worried now about the ammount of bute and ACP he is having, didn't mind it for a couple of weeks but since this began he has had 60 bute (know that because I had to get another box today) and about 200 ACP, plus a fair few other shots of sedative and the joint injections too. Any thoughts of what I can do to help his body deal with this? He now has a friend staying in with him in the day so I am hopeing I can get him off the ACP pretty shortly but he has to have the bute so that will be another 40 odd by the next visit and then I guess he will have to keep having it after that too. Do you thing a probiotic will help, am worried about stomach ulcers and also the effect this will be having on his liver, maybe there is a de-tox tonic or something I could give him when he come off of it, hopefully in the not too distant future :)

J x

teabiscuit
6th Mar 2006, 02:10 PM
glad to hear of Bo's improvement Jessey, i know that milk thistle is used as a liver cleanser/detoxifier in humans and i'm sure someone more knowledgable than me will give you better advice on this. fingers crossed for more improvement.:)

Jessey
6th Mar 2006, 04:14 PM
Thanks for the tip, thats just the type of thing I was thinking of, will find a horsey herbalist and get it organised ready for when he is off all those drugs.

J x

teabiscuit
6th Mar 2006, 05:00 PM
sorry i don't know much about milk thistle use in horses - someone on NR will know, they have the knowledge :)
is Bo finding box rest any easier? Hope he is, he's so cute, been looking at the pictures you sent for Chev.

Jessey
7th Mar 2006, 09:05 AM
Thanks honey, he isn't finding it any better, having my filly there to keep him company is helping that side of it but he managed to get cast again last night, got there at 6.30 this morning to find him on his back jammed against the wall, he wasn't even thrashing so I think he may have been there a while, I tried to roll him over but he is a big lump and he didn't try to help at all, tried to get the YO who lives on site to give me a hand but at 6.30 in the morning that was wishful thinking. Went back down (from banging on YO's door) and he was still stuck so had to tie ropes to the two legs against the wall and pull with all I had, got him over and he got up fine :D but I now have sore arm muscles :( and probably an unhappy vet when I call him :( we may have to rethink the practicality of box rest :(

I was really worried, most horses I have found cast will at least try to move when you go in the stable, he didn't, just layed there like he was waiting for me to sort him out, bless. He doesn't seem any worse for wear but it is worrying, he has now been cast twice in a week, he has never been cast before.

J x

teabiscuit
7th Mar 2006, 03:06 PM
hi Jessey- dandilion has been mentioned by Nookster as good for the horses liver, in the supplement thread.
sounds like it might be worth looking into for Bo?

Jessey
7th Mar 2006, 03:14 PM
Thanks, will investigate.

J x